How Veggie Burgers Can Carry You Through Morning, Noon, and Night

We partnered with Amy’s to show off just how to use their veggie burgers morning, noon, and night.

It’s been one of my go-to lunches for years now: a toasted, whole grain English muffin or bun, topped with a schmear of hummus or ketchup, a veggie burger, tomato, and greens. I serve it with whatever simple veggies or fruit are lying around, and I’ve got an almost-instant, stress-free, wholesome meal on my hands.

We all know that frozen veggie burgers can make for these sorts of quick, easy meals, and if you’ve been vegetarian for a long time you’re probably in the habit of bringing them to cookouts or other summer get togethers, too.

What you might not have considered is that the humble veggie burger can also work as a starter for all sorts of dishes—especially those quick, easy, leftover-based meals that are so useful in busy times (like the sleepless final exam season, where I’ve spent the last few weeks).

There are so many ways to use a veggie burger as a quick protein source in a meatless meal: Aside from the obvious (serving it on a bun, grilled, with something saucy), you can crumble them into salads or bowls. My three favorite, unconventional uses (which are quickly becoming conventional in my home) are as follows—one for every meal of the day.

Breakfast

Make a quick vegetable and potato hash (or whip up your favorite hash recipe), then crumble a burger or two in and heat through. The burger will add heft and staying power to hash. I often find that vegan and vegetarian hashes leave me feeling a little puckish, but this version always tides me over. (Adding a slice of toast or two doesn’t hurt, either.)

Lunch

Instead of feeling as though you have to serve the burger on a bun, try folding it into a whole grain wrap, along with some vegetarian refried beans and your favorite chopped raw veggies. I love stuffing the wrap with a quick, tangy slaw of romaine, cabbage, avocado, lime juice, and cilantro. For a more Middle Eastern spin, you can stuff a veggie burger into whole grain pita instead, then add some chopped cucumber and a drizzle of tahini sauce.

Dinner

You can use your favorite veggie burger as a quick and easy alternative to “meatballs” in a spaghetti or zucchini marinara dinner. Simply cook your pasta, warm up your sauce, and then heat and crumble the veggie burger on top, one for each plate.

The beauty of veggie burgers is a combination of nutrient density and convenience. But I think that versatility is one of their main strengths, too. The ones that get the most love in my own home, the ones I turn to again and again, are those that can be used in a multitude of ways. Veggie burgers—grilled, baked, crumbled, and cubed—lead the charge.

Amy’s is dedicated to producing high-quality vegetarian, vegan, and frozen packaged foods, like their veggie burgers (which you can eat every which way!). See all their products here.

This article was written by Gena Hamshaw from Food52 and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@newscred.com.